Plow for potato-harvesters



C. J. CUMMINGS.

PLOW FOR POTATO HARVESTERS, APPLICATION FILED HAY 25 1917.

1,371,226, Patented Mar. 15, 1921.

A TTOR/VE vs.

UNITED" TAT-es PATENT OFFICE.

QH ARLES J. CUMMINGS, OE TULL Y, NEW YORK.

PLOWIOR POTATO-HARVESTERS. i l

Original application flleiApril s, 1915, Serial No. 19,122. Divided and this 1917. Serial No, 170,988, g c

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. Com- MINGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tully, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Plows for Potato- Harvesters, of which the following 15 a specification.

This invention relates to potato diggers or harvesting machines, and more particularly to the plows employed onmachines of this kind for digging the potatoesup from,

the ground. I I

This application is a division of my Patent Number 1,285,632, granted Nov. 26, 1918. The objects of this invention are to produce a machine of this kind provided with a plow'adapted to deflect a part of the earth at the sides of the hills laterally into the,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the plow detached from the potato digger.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section thereof on line 33, Fig. 1.

Fig.4 is a perspective view of the plow and parts of the potato digger to which the plow is secured.

The potato digger shown in the drawings on which the plow embodying the invention is arranged, comprises front and rear ground wheels A and B, the rear wheels supporting a frame section I) having extensions or parts I) to which the parts of the plow are secured. The frame section 6 also supports a separator or carrier C to which the potatoes and earth are delivered from the plow and which separates the potatoes from the earth. The plow may be used on a potato digger or harvester of any other construction.

The plow comprises a potato digging plow or portion preferably consisting of two potato digging plow shares or parts Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented Mar. 15, 1921.

application filed May 25,

facilitates the moving of the plow through the ground. This part of the plow structure is usually strengthened or reinforced by a; strap or tie- (Z connectingvthe two main plow shares D- D, the structure shown in thedrawings being provided with a depressed or U-shaped portion extending" across the space between the two main plow.

shares, permitting the free passage of earth over the surface of the main plow shares. The reinforcing. strap a? is so arranged that when theliarvesteris in operation, the strap will pass through the space between the cut and the uncut earth or matter. Theends of the strap or tie 03 may be secured to the two: main plow shares by any suitable means,

such as bolts (1.. v

The two side plow shares or parts E E are arranged at the outer edges'of the main plow shares or parts D D and are so shaped as to turn the earth. at the outer portions of the rows, in which the potatoes are planted, outwardly to partially fill up the furrows between the rows. The outer surfaces 6 of the side plow shares which deflect the earth outwardly, extend from the front portions of theoutside edges of the plow parts D D rearwardly and outwardly away from the plow parts, and the upper edges 6 of the side plow shares are inclined upwardly so 1 as to raise any potato vines which may be lying on the ground at the sides of the rows, and to deflect the same toward the center of the machine so that they will not interfere with the driving mechanism at the sides of the machine. These side plow shares are mounted on the extensions 6' ofthe frame section b The side plow parts turn the opposite sides of the rows in which the potatoes are planted into the furrows or depressions between the rows for the purpose of leveling the field after the harvester has passed over the same. These side plow shares also, owing to the upward inclination of the edges 0' thereof, cause the vines at the sides of the rows to be deflected toward the middle of the harvester so that the driving mechanism ber secured at-its opposite ends to the upper of the plow, said space between said parts being smallest "at the foremost'end thereof and ofgreater size at the portionthereof adjacent tosaid reinforcing member.

:2; In a potato harvester, the combination for the se arator or carrier is not in any.

,way inter ered with. .Tofurther insure the proper centering of the potato vines, the

front portions of the side plow-shares are preferably joined to the upp)er of the main plow shares edges of the side plow shares diverge from the upper edges-of the' main plowshares from the point'of contacttherewith, for -the purpose of preventing theearth from clogging on the side plow shares. Q r -I claim as my invention:

1.; In a potato harvester,the combination with a frame, of aplow mounted on said frame and comprising two upwardly "and rearwardly inclined'parts separatedby an intervening space, "and a reinforcing memrear portions of said parts and having an intermediate portion bridging said intervening space and curved downwardly from said parts to leave the space between said parts unobstructed, said reinforcingmember being so arranged that all parts thereof are arranged above thelower edge of said parts with'a frame, of a plow mountedon-said frame "and comprisingytwoupwardly and a y c rea-rwardly inclined parts separated intervening space which is narrowest a-t the front edges. The upper 1-? p r V H CHARLE J. CUMMINGS. f

front portion thereof and at the rear portions thereof, and afreinforcing member whi'chis secured to "said parts of the plow and; which bridges said space'at the wider portion thereof and which is curved down- 'wardly from said parts to leave the space be tween said parts unobstructed, whereby said reinforcing memberriemams under normal conditions out of contact with the furrow.

3. In apotato harvester, the combination with a frame, of a plow mounted on "saidframe andcomprisingrtwo upwardly and i'earwarclly inclined parts separated by anf intervening space which is narrowest at'the' front portion thereof and wider atthe rear portions thereof, a reinforcing member which is'secur'ed to sa'id partsofthe plow" and which bridges said space at the wider" portion thereof and which is curved downwardlyffrom said parts to' leav'e the space 5 between said parts unobstructed, whereby said reinforcing member remains under nor- Wane-Saar, t

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